Mizzou Athletics comments on Michael Sam announcement

From the University of Missouri

HEAD COACH GARY PINKEL

On Michael Sam's announcement

"We're
really happy for Michael that he's made the decision to announce this,
and we're proud
of him and how he represents Mizzou. Michael is a great example of just
how important it is to be respectful of others, he's taught a lot of
people here first-hand that it doesn't matter what your background is,
or your personal orientation, we're all on the
same team and we all support each other. If Michael doesn't have the
support of his teammates like he did this past year, I don't think
there's any way he has the type of season he put together.

We
talk all the time here in our program about how one of our core values
is to respect the
cultural differences of others, and this certainly applies. We view
ourselves as one big family that has a very diverse collection of people
from all walks of life, and if you're part of our family, we support
you.

Looking
back, I take great pride in how Michael and everyone in our program
handled his situation.
This past August, Michael was very direct with the team when he decided
to let everyone know that he is gay. We discussed how to deal with that
from a public standpoint, and ultimately Michael decided that he didn't
want that to be the focal point of the season.
He wanted to focus on football and not do anything to add pressure for
him or for his teammates, and I think that's a great example of the kind
of person he is. We left it that whenever he felt the time was right,
however he wanted to make the announcement,
that we had his back and we'd be right there with him.

We're very proud of Michael and the courage he has displayed for coming out. We look forward
to following his career, and the success he's going to have."

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS MIKE ALDEN

On Michael Sam's announcement

"We
are so proud of Michael for what he has accomplished at Mizzou
academically, socially and competitively.
This is a young man who earned his degree from MU, was a unanimous
All-American on the football field and now he's being a leader in his
personal life. He continues to display great character, courage and
compassion. We are proud of him on every level.

We
work very hard at the University of Missouri to provide an environment
that is respectful and
inclusive of all people. We're pleased with the strides we've made over
the years with our student-athletes, coaches and staff about respecting
and celebrating our differences. We continue to grow every day. We
talk all the time about our core value of respect,
and we emphasize that in a number of ways, whether it's through
individual actions, team settings, public efforts such as our ‘If You
Can Play, You Can Play' video, and even our Men-for-Men and
Women-for-Women programs.

The University's theme is called ‘One Mizzou.' What that theme represents is that we are all family,
we are all Tigers, and we should all respect and appreciate each other.